LDC mic pickup patterns for home recording

[Bob Bickerton]

Which is one reason why, for example, using an omni at 90 degrees off axis to reduce brightness is only really a get out of a hole option, not something to be recommended as a standard practice.

Actually this is fairly standard practice for true omni SDCs of reasonable quality such as the Neumann KM183 and perfectly workable. The off-axis response is smooth with just HF attenuation.

Bob

[forumuser915213]

The M179 is a pretty decent mic for the money, but it is a little on the bright side when used up close. Rather than applying EQ, though, you can often tame that brightness at source by tilting the mic away from the source a little bit -- just lean it back so the wanted sound approaches the diaphragm at a shallower angle instead of 90 degrees.

Having spent a little more time with the CAD 179s (I did buy a second one), I'm inclined to agree Hugh. Thanks for the angling tip, which I generally do anyway to cut out nasal sounds.

I still felt I needed to do some eqing, but it's easy, mild eqing.

More, with mics set to supercardioid and with a drop of digital plate reverb, I've got a result where I couldn't tell it was recorded in a sketchily treated upstairs bedroom.

Gavin